In general, the method for processing a silver halide color photographic material (hereinafter referred to as "color light-sensitive material") basically comprises a color development step and a desilvering step. In the color development step, silver halide which has been exposed to light is reduced by an aromatic primary amine color developing agent to produce silver while an oxidation product of the color developing agent reacts with a coupler to form dye images. In the subsequent desilvering step, silver which has been produced at the color development step is oxidized and then becomes soluble by a silver ion complexing agent commonly called fixing agent. After this desilvering step, only dye images remain on the color light-sensitive material.
The above mentioned desilvering step can be effected in a two-bath system comprising a bleaching bath containing a bleaching agent and a fixing bath containing a fixing agent, in a blixing bath containing both a bleaching agent and a fixing agent or in a system comprising a combination thereof. These baths each may consist of a plurality of processing tanks.
The actual development process comprises auxiliary processing steps other than the above mentioned basic steps in order to preserve the photographic and physical qualities of images or improve the preservability of images. Examples of such auxiliary baths include film hardening bath, stopping bath, image stabilizing bath, and washing bath.
In recent years, it has been keenly desired to reduce the time required for the above mentioned processing in order to rapidly meet customers' demand for processing as small-sized over-the-counter process service system commonly called mini-laboratory has spreaded. It has been most keenly desired to reduce the time required for desilvering step, which has accounted for the majority of the processing time. In particular, it has been required to expedite bleaching step.
It has been well known that an oxidizing agent (bleaching agent) having a strong oxidative effect can be used to reduce the bleaching time. Examples of such a bleaching agent include inorganic compounds such as red prussiate, ferric chloride, persulfate, and dichromate, and metallic chelelating compounds such as ferric complex of aminopolycarboxylic acid. In recent years, in the light of atmospheric preservation and safety in handling, ferric chelates of aminopolycarboxylic acid having a strong oxidative effect have been developed. Examples of such ferric chelates of aminopolycarboxylic acid which have been developed include ferric complexes of 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetate (e.g., 1,3-PDTA-Fe(III)), and ferric complexes of glycoletherdiaminetetraacetate (e.g., GEDTA-Fe(III)).
However, it has been known that when the color development step using an aromatic primary amine color developing agent is followed by a processing step in a bleaching bath or blixing bath containing such a strong oxidizing agent, a great disadvantage takes place that the color developing agent which has been carried over with the film is oxidized and then reacts with a coupler to cause a remarkable color stain called bleaching fog (see James, The Theory of Photographic Process) which prevents the expedition of bleaching.
In order to avoid disadvantage, the color development step can be followed by a stopping or rinsing step where the developing agent is removed from the film which is then subjected to bleaching or blixing. However, this approach is disadvantageous in that the increase in the number of processing baths makes it impossible to accomplish the original object, i.e., reduction in the processing time.
Furthermore, it has been made clear that the short time processing in such a bleaching or blixing bath causes another trouble, i.e., drastic increase in stain during the storage of processed color light-sensitive materials.
As an approach for solving such bleaching fog or increase in stain, a processing method is disclosed in JP-A-1-213657 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") which comprises the reduction of the pH value of the bleaching solution to 2.5 to 4.2. A similar embodiment is C-41RA, which is a commonly used color negative film processing agent (bleaching solution with a pH value of 4.3 containing acetic acid) published by Eastman Codak in 1988. These approaches leave to be desired in the solution of the above mentioned disadvantages. It has also been made clear that these approaches are disadvantageous in that the evaporation of acetic acid used for the reduction in pH deteriorates the atmosphere or causes corrosion or deterioration of peripheral equipment and apparatus.